Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta File Amicus Brief Opposing Federal National Guard Deployment
Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via AP, File
SAN FRANCISCO, October 20, 2025 (CALIFORNIA NEWS TODAY) — California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Illinois in Trump v. Illinois. The filing challenges the federal government’s expanded authority to deploy and federalize state National Guard units for domestic law enforcement purposes.
The brief details California’s recent experience with the federalization of its National Guard. The federal government extended control of California’s Guard members through February 2026 and broadened their mission beyond Los Angeles to include deployments in Portland and Chicago. The state contends that these actions undermine states’ sovereign authority and bypass established judicial oversight.
“The Trump Administration is asking the Supreme Court to grant it unprecedented and unlimited power to deploy the military into American cities — power it has made clear that it fully intends to abuse. Trump wants an army that serves a King, but in America, in our democracy, our military does not police the people. California has been ground zero for the Trump Administration’s militarization of American streets. In the four months since troops were first deployed to Los Angeles, we’ve seen the President abandon any attempt to justify their continued presence in our state, taking a near limitless view of executive power. I urge the Supreme Court to reject the President’s latest bid to defy our constitutional norms and grab power he does not have,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta.
The amicus brief follows a series of legal actions challenging the federalization of National Guard units in multiple states. In June 2025, President Donald Trump invoked 10 U.S.C. §12406 to federalize approximately 4,000 members of the California National Guard over the objections of the state’s leadership. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is currently reviewing a lower court ruling that blocked the deployment, citing potential violations of the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of the military in domestic law enforcement.
Other legal challenges remain ongoing. In Illinois, a federal district court issued a temporary restraining order blocking deployment of federalized troops, though a subsequent appeals court ruling allowed them to remain federalized but barred deployment within the state. In Oregon, a similar case remains active, with a federal court maintaining restrictions on deployment despite a stay on de-federalization.
California officials have argued that the state does not require federalized troops for public safety purposes. Recent data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association show that violent crime in major California cities has decreased by 12.5% in 2025 compared to 2024, with notable declines in Oakland (30%) and San Francisco (22%). The California Department of Justice also reported statewide reductions in violent crime and homicides in 2024, with the state’s homicide rate reaching its second-lowest level since 1966.
For more information, visit www.gov.ca.gov.
Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
